The challenges we will face post Covid 19 lockdown will be numerous , but they will offer opportunities for all of us who are willing to see beyond the dark clouds. The Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce have created support systems for all our members as well as entrepreneurs at large who would like to bene�t from them. Thus the Covid 19 Lockdown has been an extremely busy time for our team.

As You know we have relaunched our organization just a few days prior to the Covid 19, pandemonium. Over the last year, through extensive deliberations we have sharpened our Vision, Mission, Core Values as well as our short to medium term objectives and strategy. These efforts have created greater clarity for the organization and will help our journey in to the future.

We will have to adjust some of our future plans in the light of the current disruptions, but we are geared to all the course corrections required with a sharper and clearer vision. I thank all you for your constant support and invite you to be an active part in the organization in the future.

ConceptThe upward wave symbolizes the new emerging trends and the embracing of the new world. It re�ects the ability to overcome challenges and the strength to conquer. It con�rms the agility the organization possess as the premier Women’s Chamber to support greater contribution to the economy.

It capture the promise as an essence

Engage, Empower and EnrichIndustry and CommerceWomen's Chamber of

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON

NEW LOOK OF WCIC

WOMEN LEADERSHIP FORUM 2020 - 12TH MARCH 2020

COFFEE EVENINGS

CIPE CONDUCTS VIRTUAL TRAININGS

THE CRITICAL ROLE OF WOMEN IN POST-COVID-19 SRI LANKA

ECCSL COMMEMORATES INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY 2020

WCIC ACTIVITY DURING THE COVID LOCKDOWN

WE ARE ALL BACKAT THE BOTTOMOF THE PYRAMID!

What’s Inside?

New Look of WCIC

Message from the ChairpersonWOMEN’S CHAMBER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE

We spent Sinhala and Hindu New Year and Easter under lock down and the glory of these events were clouded by the effects of Covid 19. But let us all be positive and hope that this will be a temporary set back which will pass soon and things will return to some stability.Chathuri Ransinghe

Industry and CommerceWomen's Chamber of

N E W S L E T T E R

2 0 2 0V O L U M E 1 : J A N - A P R I L 2 0 2 0

Engage - Empower - Enrich

Shape the future of women, in Sri Lanka by providing opportunities for business and professional development, fostering valuable connections,nurturing and empowering to reach their fullest potential facilitating member success

MissionTo be the “thinktank”,“ voice” and the “platform” empowering women to be powerful nation builders, by participating in transforming the economic growth of the nation.

Vision

ValuesDiverse & InclusiveDynamic & RelevantPositive mindsetEthical & SustainableThe new look of the was created with the derived sentiments in mind. The logo takes into account the future direction and captures the momentum

Women Leadership Forum 202012TH MARCH 2020

New Look withUpdated Direction Unveiled.The Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce unveiled it’s new identity at the inaugural event of the Women Leadership Forum 2020 at the Hotel Galadari with a captive audience of entrepreneurs and corporate women. The full day workshop was carefully structured to deliver knowledge and experiences to the participants in a manner which was appreciated by the audience. The key objective when crafting the workshop was to deliver learning in speci�c areas relevant to a business, such as Marketing, Business Process management, Building winning teams, and Finance. In addition two sessions were included to deliver tips on Dining etiquette, and Building a Personal Brand. A panel discussion with 4 eminent entrepreneurs, Mrs Ramaya Weerakoon- Ramya Holdings Group, Mrs Indrani Fernando – Phillips Hospital Group, Ms Jayomi Lokuliyana – Z Messenger, Prassanna Hettiarachi – Saaraketha , sharing their journey with how they overcame the challenges was appreciated well.

The programme commenced with the of�cial unveiling of the new identity of the WCIC, in an impactful manner. The Chairperson Ms Chathuri Ranasinghe delivered the welcome address establishing that the WCIC has embarked on a progressive journey.The Key note speaker – Indira Malwatte, delivered an inspiring address, on “ What Matters and Why” for a woman at the helm. Handling the �rst technical session “Marketing for Success” – Tusitha Kumarakulasingam, emphasized the importance of following the systematic approach of a structured marketing mix to deliver a concept to Product up to the point of reaching the consumer. She emphasized with detailed statistics how focus should be made to identify the potential audience clearly and the follow process to ensure success.

Gayani De Alwis in the next session of “Business Process Management” established clearly how importance should be placed on managing the supply chain effectively. She clearly demonstrated ideal process to follow, what pitfalls to avoid and how through stringent controls pro�t margins can be maximized.Nayana Karunarathna conducted two entertaining sessions, during the day where the content and the energy was appreciated by the whole audience. Few simple yet profound home truths were communicated extremely effectively.

Dr Anura Ekanayake – “ Building Winning Teams” enlightened the audience on the importance of building connected, energized teams. The challenges encountered in achieving this with people of different age brackets were de�ned with the need to be aware of expectations of different groups. The importance of understanding self and understanding others in creating winning teams was established.Sanath Fernando – Handling the complex subject “ Know Your Numbers” in a very simple manner outlined the importance of being �nancially stringent. The importance of understanding the business function clearly and ensuring that all compliances are ful�lled was the clear advice outlined. An example through which he clearly outlined how a business can easily fail even when the continued interest of the customer persists, made the learning clearer.The days proceedings concluded with very positive feedback from the audience, which appreciated session extensively. “ This was easily the best management programme I have attended” commented one participant. And most attendees had shared similar sentiments

The program was created, structured and executed by the pillar responsible for “ Capacity Building” at the WCIC chaired by Anoji De Silva. The commitment and the dedication of the team was the key reason for the outstanding success the event achieved. The Board of the WCIC extended their fullest corporation to the team.

Industry and CommerceWomen's Chamber of

Coffee Evenings

Nayana KarunaratneSRI LANKAN BEAUTICIAN AND VETERAN IN THE

INDUSTRY OF BEAUTY AND HAIRCARE

The member networking session was conducted with Nayana where she shared her thoughts on the importance of grooming for business woman. Nayana is a Beautician and Fashion Consultant of International repute with her own business “ Saloon Nayana” established in 1980. She spearheaded the formation of the “Sri Lanka Association of Hairdressers and Beauticians” in 1996. Renowned for her contribution to the industry as well as the Corporate World to inculcate the need for personal grooming she is a well sought out trainer and speaker.

Interview with Tammy BartonTAKING YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

The Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce conducted an interactive session as the “ Coffee Evening “ for the members in January with Tammy Barton -personal budgeting expert from Adelaide Australia. WCIC Board Member Gayani de Alwis moderated the session.

Tammy Barton is one of Australia’s leading businesswomen and Founder and Director of personal budgeting company Mybudget, which has grown into a national success story. She is a renowned entrepreneur who started her business 20 years ago as a home based business. During the interview Barton explained how she started MyBudget as a home-based business in Adelaide in 1999 at the age of 22 after working at a debt collection agency where she witnessed the damaging effects of �nancial stress on people.

She said her personal budgeting service aims to help people take control of their �nances through budgeting and money management. Barton is recognised as one of Australia’s most in�uential businesswomen and regularly appears in the media as an expert on personal money management and household budgeting.

CIPE conducts Virtual Trainings

The Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce has had a strong collaboration since 2012 with the Center for International Private Enterprise from Washington D.C. which is a part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. CIPE has several programs they are responsible for and can be seen at http://www.cipe.org. One of their program is Business Association Development: Here they build the capacity of associations such as WCIC, as the independent voice of the business community. CIPE helps associations advocate for a more competitive economic environment. In countries around the world, CIPE and its local partners are proving that with an informed and participatory approach, business associations can elevate public-private dialogue and facilitate economic growth.

In April 2020, CIPE conducted 3 online training sessions with CIPE’s Senior Consultant and Trainer Camelia Bulat. The purpose was to strengthen WCIC’s Proposal Writing Committee. The trainings covered ideas from proposal writing relevant to donors,

monitoring & evaluation and the communication plan.

The compulsory holiday on account of the government imposed curfew period, would have no doubt been an eye opener for many of us women. As we’re generally used to multi-tasking throughout the day, struggling at times to establish a healthy work-life balance, the month-long curfew in Sri Lanka as part of the global health crisis has surely offered us a different perspective.

It is time to think, evaluate, value, appreciate and restructure our lives.

For many of us right now, major concerns and worries include the ban on certain imports such as skin care products, cheese, and chocolates. We should realise that life involves much more than these negligible priorities. As women with integral roles in society,

who guide companies, families, and the country, we need to look at the larger picture while making more signi�cant contributions with the potential to reap long-term bene�ts for ourselves and the country. I do not see us experiencing another opportunity of this magnitude in the near future. This is the best one we have, if we are going to change. This is a critical opportunity for us to look at the broader spectrum and do our part in contributing to the whole.

If we are to develop, everyone around us has to change and develop parallelly. It is our responsibility as women to implement these changes starting with ourselves, our families, and our companies.

The critical role of women in post-COVID-19 Sri LankaNAYANA KARUNARATNE

In addition to these points, I would like to say that the majority of Sri Lankan youth, including a large portion of men, are often misguided, experience disenfranchisement, and feel aimless in life. As a result, commitment and discipline are lacking. A contributing factor could also be the overprotective environment at home, in which mothers play a large part. They should be afforded the necessary freedom to discover what they’re passionate about, while offering guidance and support at each step.

We, as Women in Business and management, should take up the initiative to correct these issues. There is immense potential to set many of these areas right, if we begin with ourselves and our home and work environments. I urge each of you to adopt some of these positive habits in the coming weeks and inspire ourselves and those around us.

6 CRITICAL POINTS

Our physical and mental health is vital if we are to live successfully. We can start with simple changes such as improving the quality of the plate of rice we consume, where irresponsible eating has led to numerous health issues. The quantity of rice or any starch should be restricted to only 25% or a quarter of the quantity of food in your meal. The balance should comprise vegetables, fruits, and protein-rich food.

The secret here is not eating less, but eating more vegetables and fruits and less starch. Drink 10 glasses of water daily, without fail. Engage in exercise by partaking in a sport, dancing, or doing whatever you enjoy, for at least for 30 minutes daily. Gradually develop this into a lifestyle habit at home by doing whatever sport or dance you enjoy. Make this a lifestyle habit at home and implement it in the workplace as well (within your capacity).

The curfew period has afforded us much clarity on the true nature of life, allowing us to realise and appreciate the value of skilled labour. Do not differentiate. Try to address your thoughts that see segregation on various factors as natural. Doctors, Lawyers, Masons, Carpenters, Mechanics and Teachers, they are all the same. Each person should educate/train themselves further in their chosen skill and �eld, and strive for higher standards within society. Start re�ecting on this with your own family members.

Never lie, never cheat, never give or take a bribe. We as women should take the lead and set a good example to others where honesty and respect are concerned. This will naturally �lter through to society and the country as a whole.

Do not cut trees. Plant trees instead. Begin this habit at home. If we can walk in our neighborhood roads and lanes without an umbrella during the day, then we will know we’ve achieved something. Dispose garbage correctly. Avoid using plastic bags when at the supermarket. Please carry your own reusable bags as much as possible. Save water and electricity whenever you can. There are opportunities to realise reduced water and energy consumption patterns all around our homes and workplaces.

Every person should do 8 hours of work. We waste a large portion of time each day, even while at work, distracted by the internet, our phones, chit-chat, etc. We should always go to bed with a contented feeling arising from making the best use of ‘TODAY’, which we were privileged to have. It could be through cooking, sewing, gardening or your job, but making full use of our time is essential. An active person is always a content person.

Each school, academy, shop, business and of�ce in this country should attempt to have at least 10% to 15% people of minority ethnicities in their institutions, if we are to enjoy long-term racial harmony. We must begin with ourselves by setting a solid example of harmony through our personal conduct and through the company’s policies. We should create awareness and not allow racial divisions to take place. Each person should be given a �rst hand experience of the uplifting nature of racial harmony, through their environment.

1 Healthy Body / Healthy Mind: 2 Dignity Of Labour

3 Honesty & Respect

4 Protect Your Environment

5 Be Productive 6 Racial Harmony

THE EUROPEAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF SRI LANKA (ECCSL) COMMEMORATES INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY 2020

“Encouraging and celebrating women in business and management” ON 03rd March 2020 at Hotel Cinnamon Lakeside with the participation of 4 speakers including Her Excellency Trine Jøranli Eskedal on Norwegian and European policy on inclusiveness in governance; Chair of Women in Management (WiM), Dr.Sulochana Segera on importance of female participation in management and recognition among the informal sector economy; Chairperson of WCIC, Ms.Chathuri Ranasinghe on role of female participation within the Sri Lankan economic context and Head of Operations at ECCSL, Ms.Tanya Goonewardene on the joint collaborative efforts and initiatives to encourage, empower and recognize female leadership in management.

WCIC activity during the Covid Lockdown18TH APRIL 2020Set up a Free Help Desk through Ernst & Young, arranged by its Partner Ms Anoji de Silva who is a Board Member of WCIC, to assist the WCIC Members to obtain from Banks the Moratoriums and Reliefs offered by way of 4% interest loans and working capital. Help desk was launched with a Webinar conducted by Ernst & Young to explain in depth what was being offered and the process to be adhered etc.

23RD APRIL 2020

“COVID 19 only a hurdle” An informative webinar focusing on providing deep insights to the business in the areas of Marketing, Logistics, Finance, Tax and obtaining assistance.

Covid 19 is taking the world by storm, it has disrupted normal life almost everywhere. Majority of the power bases have been brought to their knees.No one has been spared, however mighty or small it was. It has not respected anything, no cast, creed , religion, race has been taken any notice of. Every single country effected is struggling to cope with the impact. For the rulers the priority is to keep the spread of the disease under control, minimise the casualties. To the public at large it is survival.

We are all back at the bottom of the pyramid!

We are all back at the bottom of the pyramid, irrespective of which Socio Economic Segment we were part of during the early part of this month. Month of March for us in Sri Lanka, has become a period of reckoning. Every single family across the country is now struggling to, �gure out how to set the next meal on the table, how to create safety for their own families. Everyone has been placed on the same boat, they are struggling in the same way to �nd answers to needs at the bottom of the pyramid, food, medicine, safe shelter. We are all struggling to full �ll the basic needs. It is good enough to have just the essentials, no luxuries are important today. We are settling for commodities, Brands are not a luxury we seek. Anything is good enough right now. We are not sure what tomorrow would bring. Isn't it mind boggling? Most of us are still trying to come to terms with what happened. It is like a plot in a movie, so unreal, yet it is happening.

We are now trapped in our homes, with limited access to the rest of the world. Of course it is a necessity and it is for our own safety, but the fact remains the stuff that we took for granted is no longer available for us. Our freedom is gone, we roamed as we wished, we went to work, went to school , had access to entertainment as we wished, but today a virus has taken it all away. We have been humbled beyond our imagination. We have been restricted, the rich and the poor alike.

TUSITHA KUMARAKULASINGAM - 2ND OF APRIL 2020

TUSITHAK@BLOGGER

Industry and CommerceWomen's Chamber of

WOMEN’S CHAMBER OFINDUSTRY AND COMMERCE

96/25, Kitulwatte Road, Colombo 08, Sri Lanka

Tel: (9411)2671762

Fax: (9411) 2669074

Mobile: 076 6848080

Email: wcicsrilanka@gmail.com

Website: www.wcicsl.lk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCICSL/

Instagram: @wcicsl

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wcicsl/

Every dark cloud has a silver lining, personally I think this is a time for us to take stock of our lives. The universe has given us an opportunity to �gure out what is real and what is not? We have been given a pause to assess how we spend our time, what and who we consider important, how much of priority we place, on what is really important to us.

What is important and urgent today is the welfare of our families. In our efforts to secure their future did we really place the necessary effort from a perspective of time to reap the best bene�ts?Revisit everything we do, if we had limited time available in our lives, what should we do and what should we stop doing. Let's us take stock of every thing in our lives, starting from who is important to us and why - have we done the best we could for them. What have, been our dreams are they still important given the shock we have been delivered, should we now re create our future journey?

Let us �nd time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, be fully aware of what is happening around us, be sensitive to the needs of others be it a person, animal or the nature. Spend time to unwind, embrace simple stuff that can rejuvenate your soul , meditate, read, color , listen to music, engage in a craft of choice, cook for your family, play games.

Your life has been put on pause. Do something useful while on hold.